Pope Francis has arrived in Kenya for a three-
nation African tour – his first to the continent as
pontiff. Thousands are expected to line the
streets of the capital, Nairobi, to welcome him
for his three-day stay. An atheist group says it
will challenge in court a government decision to
declare Thursday a holiday in honour of the
pontiff, local media report. A leading Muslim
cleric in Kenya welcomed the visit, saying it gave
hope to the “downtrodden in the slums”. Pope
Francis is also due to visit Uganda and Central
African Republic, which has been hit by
Christian-Muslim conflict.